1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roof carrier mounting structure for mounting a roof carrier on a member to which a roof carrier is mounted such as a roof rail of a vehicle, a roof panel thereof or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 29 shows an example of a roof carrier mounting structure (a roof baggage supporting device 100) according to the prior art (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 7-2025).
The roof baggage supporting device, 100 comprises a lateral beam 102 and a fastening device 104. A side rail 110 is interposed between and fastened by a support jaw 106 and a fastening jaw 108 of the fastening device 104.
However, if sufficient fastening force is to be obtained by this type of structure in which only the side rail 110 is fastened, the size of the fastening device 104 becomes large and the weight thereof is also increased. For example, if a load and the roof baggage supporting device 100 are moved greatly in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle by inertia force generated during the rapid (large) acceleration of the vehicle, the rapid (large) deceleration thereof and the like (which will be collectively referred to below as “a rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle”) there is a possibility that the support jaw 106 and the fastening jaw 108 might hit the end of the side rail 110 and be damaged. In order to prevent such damage, it is necessary to set the fastening force of the fastening device 104 at a sufficiently high level. More specifically, in order to reduce the amount of movement of the roof carrier as shown by the arrow J of FIG. 30, the fastening force (fastening torque) needs to be increased. Consequently, the size and weight of the fastening device 104 is further increased.